LAVA Dance Company

Dance, acrobatics, and theater form the backbone of this innovative all-female company from Brooklyn who push their physical limits as they consistently search for greater athletic expression. LAVA was founded in 2000 by Artistic Director Sarah East Johnson; the name refers to that substance’s dynamic and powerful effect on the earth. As both a destructive and generative force, Johnson explains that in the same way that it represents two opposing energies, so the company was created to represent the world in its varying complexities and contrasts.

LAVA demonstrates powerful athleticism in their performances; the artists interact with lifts, tumbles, tosses, rolls, and jumps, and in every choreographed piece we see a terrific sense of trust and sensitivity as relationships are defined and contact is made through the fusion of many types of movement such as capoiera, modern dance, wrestling, and swing dance. The company won both an Obie and a Bessie award for their 2000 show Lava Love, and performs throughout the United States to well-deserved accolades. In New York, the company has debuted work at venues like PS 122, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, the Joyce Theater and Symphony Space. The company is dedicated to community outreach; classes and scholarships are available at LAVA studio, where ensemble members teach kids and adults how to free their bodies, minds and spirits through the combination of various movement forms. (MK)